God can use change for good

One of the most common themes I hear when I listen to the customers talk about what's on their mind is "change." Most of the time, their conflicts and struggles revolve around change. Have you heard the phrase, "Everything changes" from time to time? Maybe you've heard it in a song or a poem. I prefer to use the saying, "Change is all around us."

A popular example of changes happens within families, like changing hometowns, parents changing jobs, changing daily routines, or changing the number of siblings. My older brother had to go from being the only child to having a younger sister to having a younger sister and younger brother to having two younger sisters and a younger brother. That's a lot of change! He went from being an only child to having three siblings!

The Diary Dairy in State College has been going through some major changes recently. Last fall, we changed locations from one end of town to the other. The new building is a little smaller, but the staff and customers have readjusted well. As long as the theme rooms still exist, and as long as they can still order a chocolate peanut butter milkshake and my famous onion rings, they're happy.

Not only has the location changed, but so has the staff. Shane has been promoted to the General Manager of the store, and Adam has been promoted to a Shift Manager. I am now going back and forth between here and the Clearfield shop, doing all the things an owner of a major business needs to do in order to function well.

Sometimes change can be good, and sometimes change can hurt one's heart and cloud up the mind with foggy thoughts. It may seem like there can't possibly be any rhyme or reason to the change, and that nothing positive could come from it. Just recently, one of my employees, Shawn, heard from a customer who moved out of town at the end of last summer. Due to disciplinary issues, the boy left town to live with an uncle in another city. In the beginning, he was not looking forward to being away from his friends, and from a couple of the guys on the Diary Dairy staff whom he has adopted as his mentors. Shawn shared the letter with me, and it was truly enlightening. The boy informed us that he has been attending church with his uncle and going to the youth group events. In both church and school, he has been making new friends. Even at his young age, he can see the good in learning how to live with positive morals and values. His uncle has assured him that if all continues to go well, he has the possibility of moving back to State College this fall to start high school.

At the beginning, the move didn't seem positive. These days, he is thankful for the change because, not only did he change location, but he has seen his heart and attitude towards life begin to change; for the better, which he claims is the best thing that's happened to him in a long time. Could he see the positives at first? No. One of the lessons my staff has learned over the years, and continues to be reminded of is that, just because you don't see something now, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, or won't be seen in the future.

Maybe you're going through some kind of change in your life where you can't see the good in all that's happening around you. Remember, though, that just because you don't see the positive outcome, doesn't mean it's not coming. I encourage you to hang in there and wait it out. I know the change may feel painful and all you feel is confused and unsure at the moment. My hope is that, down the road, you'll feel joy and see that God can use change for good.

~ Melissa